Improvement in breech-loading fire-arms



E. F. iGrUN N Breach-Loading Fire-Arm.

Patented Sept. 10, v1867.

w New@ `'UNITEDY STATES PATENT FFICE.

EDWIN F. GUNN, OF CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREECH-LOADING FIRE-ARMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 68,736, dated September 10, 1867.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWIN F. GUNN, of Charleston, in the district of Charleston and State of South Carolina, have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Breech- Loading Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a portion of this specication, in which- Figure l is a side view and partial section of a hre-arm constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same, laken in the line a; w of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.'

This invention consists in a lever and a sliding extractor so combined with a chalnbered breech-block hinged at one side that the said lever not only serves as a thumbpiece whereby the breech-block may be turned laterally from the breech-receiver to unclose the breech, but may also be used to operate the extractor to expel the empty cartridge-shells from the breechblock, and be employed to securely lock the breech-block in position when the breech is closed.

To enable others to understand the construction and operation of my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

The barrel A is securely ixed in a breechreceiver, B, which is open at the top and at one side, and is attached to the stock C in any suitable manner.

The breech-block represented at D is hinged to the bottom of the breech-receiver, at the open side thereof, as shown at a, and has formed and extending entirely through it a longitudinal chamber, b, which, when the breech is closed, is in line with the bore of the barrel, with its rear end closed by the recoilbearing c of the breech-receiver, the aforesaid rear end furthermore having formed in it `an annular rabbet for the reception of thel iian ge of the metallic cartridge-shell.

The extractor is shown at E, and slides in a longitudinal slot provided for its reception within the outermost side of the breech-block, and the head d ot' which, when the aforesaid block is in its place to close the breech, is situated forward of the rabbet just mentioned, in such manner as to catch upon the iiange ofthe cartridge-shell in ejecting the saine. This extractor is furnished at 011e side with a shoulder, a', which is acted upon byaspur, b,formed upon a lever, F, which is pivoted in a suitable recess, c, communicating with the slot in which the extractor is placed, and the upper end of which projects upward when the breech is closed, as shown in Fig. l.

The lever F is also constructed with an angular corner, cl, which, when the breech is closed, tits into a notch, e, formed in the rear end of the breech-receiver, near the outer edge of the recoil-bearing, in such manner as to prevent the accidental opening of thebreech, as will presently be further set forth.

The tiring-pin is shown plainly in dotted lines at f, and is pressed back by a spring, g.

The hammer G, which actuates the tiringpin to ignite the cartridge, may be of any suitable construction.

In loading the tire-arm, the upwardly-extending arm of the lever F is first pulled back to bring the angular corner d of the said lever out of the notch c, and the brecchblock is then turned laterally outward upon its hinge a, thus bringing it entirely out of the breech receiver, as shown in Fig. 3, the aioresaid lever serving as a thumb-piece or knob in so doing. This being done, the aforesaid upper portion of the lever is forced forward, whereupon the spur b thereof, striking the shoulder a of the extractor, t'orces the said extractor back, as shown in the said Fig. 3, and expels the cartridge-shell from the chamber of the breech-block. Afresh cartridgeis then pushed into the open rear end of such chamber, the iiange thereof, as it moves inward, striking the head of the extractor and returning the same to its place. The breeclrblocl; is then turned back into the breech-receiver, and is locked therein by pushing the upper arm of the lever F slightly forward to bring the angular corner d' into the notch e, as hereinbefore explained.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The lever F and sliding retractor d, arranged in combination with the laterally-swingin g chambered breech-block D, all constructed and operating substantially as herein described, for the purposes set forth.

EDWIN F. GUNN.

Witnesses Gno. F. GUNN, JOHN M. GUNN. 

